LETTERS: "It had to be worth fixing, especially before it was left vacant "

Tuesday

Sep 4, 2018 at 2:00 AM

Back to an old option for shelter

The old Daytona Beach Police Department building on Nova Road at Orange Avenue would never have been abandoned if it had a private owner. It had to be worth fixing, especially before it was left vacant and closed tight for a way-too-long time.

[READ: Jaw-dropping news on First Step shelter]

That building is our homeless shelter. Good location, and the public already owns it. It should be built out in a safe and spartan manner. If government was as resourceful as private industry, this would happen.

Arthur Kowitz, Ormond Beach

Clarification: The old police headquarters at Nova Road and Orange Avenue was torn down in May. Mr. Kowitz sent an email correcting his letter, but it was not seen until after the letter was in print.

Livable wage needed

Now there’s a proposal that makes absolute sense. I refer to making corporations pay their employees enough to sustain themselves and take their support off the backs of the taxpayers (who are already subsidizing those corporations through generous tax breaks), as proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders. Who can help but gain through such a plan? Okay, so the corporate honcho has to put the gardener on part-time.

[READ: Pay in Volusia, Flagler lags behind state, nation]

[READ: Connect workers to better jobs]

The free market system was supposed to level the playing field, allowing each to exchange his services for a decent living, with a little left over for rainy days or a comfortable retirement. Now the accumulating property of money has thrown everything out of whack, allowing individuals to amass more than they and their families could possibly use or need, except as leverage against others for getting what they want.

Of course, who among our lawmakers is going to go along with this? Surely not those career politicians already on the corporate dole — ironically, the very same job security-minded public servants whom Trump promised to send packing, and who now toady to him and his supporters for fear of those jobs. I am fed up with these public employees owing their souls to the corporate store (which, thanks to our Supreme Court, the extent of which may now be kept from the public). This is the same Supreme Court that in its infinite wisdom ruled that corporations have the same rights as private citizens. What a travesty that is! Consider the power that corporations have over thousands, even millions of lives through their actions, versus the power wielded by single individuals.

As an aside, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ net worth is listed as a paltry $500,000, which pretty much excludes him from the largess bestowed on other lawmakers by their nameless angels. Go, Bernie!

Stephen L. Doll, Ormond Beach

Don’t hurt workers

It is impossible to balance the federal budget on the back of approximately 2 million federal employees. It is wrong for this small number of employees, in a total population of over 323 million (six-tenths of one percent of the nation) to sacrifice while everyone else, especially the rich, shares in a $1.5 trillion tax cut. Tax cuts break the budget far more than a federal pay raise will.

[READ: Trump cancels pay raise federal workers were due]

Federal employees have already contributed $120 billion in cost savings over the last eight years including pay freezes in 2011, 2012 and 2013, increased retirement contributions, and lost wages due to furloughs. Eighty-five percent live outside of the D.C. Metropolitan area, including over 72,000 in Florida. This middle class work force includes highly skilled engineers, scientists, medical professionals, and information technology professionals who could command much higher salaries in the private sector. Border Patrol, ICE and FBI agents are also hurt.

As a former federal human resources specialist, I agree that the federal government pay system is outdated and needs reform, but this doesn’t justify alienating the entire federal work force. President Trump’s pay freeze punishes the very employees he wants to reward.

Although the 1.9 percent increase currently before Congress is inadequate, I urge Florida lawmakers to vote for it. Next year, I urge the president and Congress to develop a 21st Century HR program. To do so, they will need to obtain input from federal employee organizations including the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and federal unions, current federal HR experts, and private sector best practices.

B. Virginia Comella, DeLand

Comella is president of NARFE Chapter 817.

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